You can get an excellent scope from around $400 in a 6" or 8" Dobsonian. But you can spend many $1000s if you're so inclined.
Cost of the scope breaks down to:
- cost of telescope OTA (tube + optics) from least to most expensive: Newtonians, Cassegrains, achromats, apochromats.
- and cost of mount from least: Dobsonian (supplied with some Newts), alt-azimuth (AZ - for small scopes), fork (supplied with some SCTs), equatorial (EQ).
So Dobsonians give you the most telescope per dollar. A $450 8" Dob will show you as much stuff (maybe a little more even) as an $8000 apochromat, but to continue your car analogy, that is like saying a Holden will take you at least as far and just as fast as a Rolls Royce would. Most of us have Holdens that work well but many of us would still like to own a Rolls Royce as well for the occasional leisurely weekend drive in supreme comfort.
Check out this thread for photos of different types of scopes in the field:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ead.php?t=5075
Here are a few more Oz dealers I've dealt with, for you to check out (sorry none in WA):
www.andrewscom.com.au
www.astro-optical.com.au
www.telescopeshed.com.au
www.astronomy-electronics-centre.com.au